¡puaj, qué asco!
/ˈpwax ˈke ˈasko/word by word
The English phrase "ew gross!" can be translated into Spanish as ¡puaj, qué asco!
This expression is used to express strong disgust or dislike toward something unpleasant. It can be used for both physical disgust, such as encountering bad smells or rotten food and moral disgust, such as reacting to a person's unpleasant behavior. If you want to direct this feeling specifically at a person to say "you gross me out!", you can use the phrase ¡qué asco me das!
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the interjection puaj (ew) and the exclamation qué asco (what disgust/grossness).
Which one should you use?
While ¡puaj, qué asco! is a full exclamation, you can also use the shorter version ¡qué asco! to express the same sentiment of "how gross!" If you want to say "Yuck!" or "Ew!" more simply, you can use ¡Puaj! or the informal ¡Qué guacala! For the specific meaning "How disgusting!", the informal ¡Qué asqueroso! is also used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase qué asco can be used on its own without the interjection puaj to express the same sentiment of disgust.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpwax ˈke ˈasko/
Did you know?
- The word asco may be a relative of the English word 'scar'. This is based on the theory that it comes from the Latin 'eschăra', meaning a scab or scar.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying ¡qué asco! can be used hyperbolically to describe a situation that is simply unfair or 'sickening' in a social sense, even if nothing physically smelly is present.
- The interjection puaj is an onomatopoeia designed to mimic the sound of someone exhaling sharply to push away a bad smell.
Examples in context
- ¡Qué guacala! No pienso probar eso, ¡me da náuseas!Ew! I won't try that, it makes me feel sick!
- ¡Qué asqueroso! No puedo creer que esa araña esté en tu habitación.How disgusting! I can't believe there's a spider in your room.
- ¡Puaj! Esta bebida sabe horrible, ¿cómo puedes tomarla?Yuck! This drink tastes awful, how can you drink it?
- Mira esa comida vieja, ¡puaj, qué asco!Look at that old food, ew, gross!
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are looking at a spilled carton of old milk in the fridge.
- Alejandro¡Puaj, qué asco!, la leche está cortada.Ew, gross!, the milk is spoiled.
- LucíaTienes razón, Alejandro, huele muy mal.You're right, Alejandro, it smells terrible.
- AlejandroVoy a tirarla ahora mismo.I am going to throw it away right now.
- LucíaMenos mal, no quiero ni tocarla.Thank goodness, I don't even want to touch it.
